20th Century World History Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key historical terms, figures, and concepts from the World War I, interwar, World War II, and Cold War eras.

Treaty of Versailles

The treaty that ended World War I and was imposed on Germany by the Allied powers.

Appeasement

A strategy Britain and France used to avoid upsetting Hitler. It is accepting demands in order to avoid conflict.

Vladimir Lenin

Leader of Russia's Bolshevik movement who brought Communism to Russia.

Communism

A form of governing in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid equally.

Nationalism

A strong feeling of pride and devotion to one's country.

Imperialism

A strong country takes over other countries politically, socially and economically.

Militarism

A policy of glorifying military power and keeping an army prepared for war.

Bias

A particular preference or point of view that is personal.

Worldwide Economic Depression

Period when business activity slows, wages drop and unemployment rises.

Soviet Union

The first Communist country, consisting of Russia and 14 other countries, that existed from 1922 to 1991.

Cold War

Time of tension between the US and Russia from 1945–1991 without the two countries directly going to war.

Assassination

Murder of a public figure, usually for political reasons.

Prejudice

A negative attitude toward an entire group of people.

Alliances

A group of nations joining together to fight a common enemy.

Berlin Wall

A wall separating Communist East and Democratic West Berlin built by East Germany in 1961 to keep citizens from escaping to the West.

Nazism

A political system headed by a dictator that calls for extreme nationalism and racism.

Propaganda

Information that is misleading or biased and is created to promote a specific viewpoint.

Adolf Hitler

Chancellor of Germany and leader of the Nazi regime during World War II.